sweat drips, love sticks
by dearlambie
Summary: Outwardly, all anyone saw was bickering, glaring, hands-on-hips and sneers and rolling eyes. Yusuke x Keiko. /50prompts.


**Author's Note:** _Finally_ … I've been chipping away at this prompt-set for what feels like _forever_ (and I hope DarkMignonette doesn't mind I borrowed her idea). It's hard for me to write without being *inspired* so I'm trying to push myself a bit more, with mixed results. Set pre-, within, and post- canon.

 **xxx**

 **#07: Chocolate  
** "Shh," the nineteen-year-old girl winked, offering a warm smile as the happy toddler bounced on the balls of her feet. She giggled when Atsuko slipped extra candies into her skirt pocket. "Don't tell Yusuke I gave you more, okay?"

 **#17: Tears  
** "Sweetie, what happened?" Mr. Yukimura asked, eyeing his sniffling daughter's red, bandaged knees and her scuffed mary janes. Before the answer got out, Yusuke interjected excitedly, "We were running and Toshiro stuck his leg out and tripped Keiko and she fell down, so I hit him in the mouth with her lunchbox!"

 **#25: Devotion  
** Keiko's father suppressed the urge to grin as Yusuke proudly babbled about Toshiro's broken tooth, and Keiko (tears forgotten) scolded for his trip to the principal's office. Skeptical as he was of his daughter's wild and troublesome playmate, coming to her defense? - he couldn't help but approve now.

 **#28: Sickness  
** Keiko pressed her hands to her mouth as the boy disappeared beyond the ledge and into shallow water. "See, this is why you're the biggest dummy I know!" If Yusuke weren't such a _brat_ , he wouldn't end up in these predicaments. Her companion sneezed, and Keiko hoped the cold she knew he would catch was worth trying to peek under her skirt.

 **#04: Pain  
** "Dammit, Keiko," Yusuke hissed, flinching like an irate cat from the cloth in her hand, "that stings." The teenager scowled, sure she caught ' _bitch_ ' muttered under his breath, and pushed the gauze against his eye harder (-because he's bleeding, and it could get infected… it had nothing to do with the fact the jerk interrupted her studying with his street fighting for the _third time this week_ ).

 **#42: Clouds  
** Fat snowflakes fell from heather sky - the way it usually did around her birthday - and Keiko curled further into bed. Vaguely, she hoped Atsuko had enough foresight to buy groceries for the next few days as it began to pile on the sidewalk.

 **#38: Gift  
** Yusuke sank in his seat, ready to glare daggers at anyone who stared at the schoolgirl and the delinquent together in such a cutsey cafe. "You don't want anything?" He frowned at the menu of pastel-colored cakes and sugary drinks. "Nah, just order what you want…" he answered. Normally, the boy wouldn't be caught _dead_ looking as if he were on a date with Keiko anywhere so pink, but Yusuke could make the exception for today...

 **#18: Speed  
** She spied all the tell-tale signs he was rearing for a fight - squared shoulders and narrowed eyes - so Keiko grabbed Yusuke by the elbow and pushed past the Kazanaga students glowering at him. "Urameshi," the nearest one yelled, "I'm only letting you go today 'cause you're with your bitch!" and Yusuke tore from her grip. His fist slammed into the guy's jaw before Keiko could blink.

 **#06: Rain  
** Despite how embarrassing it looked, Yusuke offered to hold her umbrella (so he wouldn't have to duck). He _might_ have been walking a little closer to Keiko than necessary, but made up for it by staring in the opposite direction so they didn't come off as couple-y.

 **#34: Lightning/Thunder  
** The street-punk sulked at the ruined cigarette floating in a puddle at his feet. Wind picked up, blowing cold rain sideways against their legs, but Yusuke continued to hold the umbrella dutifully over the two of them - even if Keiko deserved to get soaked after slapping his last smoke out of his hand. "You're a real pain in the ass sometimes, you know that right?" She wrinkled her nose and snapped, "Yeah, well you know you're a pain in my ass _all the time_!"

 **#13: Death  
** Those horrible, awful words - "Idiot! Pervert! _Why don't you just die already!_ " - echoed painfully in her mind as Keiko buried her tears in the softest teddy bear she owned. How could she ever apologize for them now that Yusuke was dead?

 **#09: Telephone  
** He glided in, and the spirit wished Botan had offered a better solution than " _just stand at their bedside._ " Yusuke made eye contact with a pink bunny sat on Keiko's desk and frowned, feeling judged for intruding; he was just doing what the ferry girl told him to.

 **#30: Star  
** Sayaka floated above the schoolgirl fascinated, though the appeal was lost on Yusuke. Bad enough while he was alive; he didn't need a bird's-eye-view of teachers and friends and _horny_ guys fawning after Keiko while she walked around like she shone brighter than anyone else.

 **#12: Sensual  
** The last time she saw him so serene was - well, she couldn't remember when... probably before he started wearing gel in his hair - and her best friend looked different as a result. Normally, Yusuke wore a crease between his harsh eyebrows and his lips curled down in a permanent sneer, but now, his dark hair fell easily over his forehead, the crease gone; instead of a scowl, the lines of his mouth were soft. _Such a beautiful face for such a rough boy_ , Keiko thought, as she brushed the last fleck of dust from his lip.

 **#32: Confusion  
** She'd never kissed a boy before, Yusuke being the only one she really knew; never given it much thought, but oh, was she tempted after the tender way he came during dreams to dry her tears and ask her to wait. " _Don't tell me you like somebody else…!_ " Warmth tingled awkwardly in her belly, and Keiko's heart beat in her chest and in her throat and between her ears, and she leaned in closer...

 **#21: Life  
** Though angry, red flames passed harmlessly through Yusuke's ghost, the blaze threatened to catch the girl's skirt and ankles, crackling and snapping cruelly as if the fire were mocking them. "Don't be stupid! Go back!" Sayaka drifted forward, her large childish eyes laced with concern. "But your body-!" The ends of Keiko's pigtails glowed orange before falling away as ash. "There's no _point_ in coming back to life if Keiko is _dead_!"

 **#02: Kiss  
** In her dream, their shared moment felt pleasant and warm, but despite the flickering golden glow, Yusuke's lips were cold - freezing - snapping her back to painful reality. Keiko pushed the dreadful thought of them remaining that way forever and focused her entire being on the act. _Please, please, please..._

 **#44: Heaven  
** The girl stilled, breath held and heart paralyzed in her chest, and only tears continued to stubbornly roll down her cheeks. Yusuke blinked. Once, then twice, and - _oh please_ \- sat up and turned his gaze on her. He spoke (something silly and too-casual, of course), and, even though the clock read past midnight, all the sun and warmth flooded back into Keiko's life all at once.

 **#37: Technology  
** "Huh? What's this?" The detective peered up, flicking his stare from the curious look on her face to the shiny object held out in between them. His eyes lit with recognition, and Yusuke snatched away Botan's spyglass-thingy (angled straight at her body). He buried it in his pocket, muttering at Keiko for nosing through his stuff while he quieted down the stupid part of his brain that wished he'd actually caught a glimpse underneath her uniform.

 **#08: Happiness  
** "I haven't seen Keiko this happy in months. Look at how she's prancing around!" Yusuke took another sip of milkshake with practiced disinterest - _since when did they start hanging out_... "Oh yeah?" He lurched, and Yusuke found his head wedged between Kuwabara's armpit and Kuwabara's fist. "Don't act like you're not excited too! I'll head on home now, so you can make a smooth go at her!" _Goddammit, the idiot's so loud._ "Hey, you're squishing my milkshake!"

 **#22: Jealousy  
** A pang of guilt accompanied the jealous twinge in her chest as she watched the two boys walk away, leaving her alone to buy movie tickets. Keiko felt selfish, worrying she'd been replaced, when Yusuke finally found someone so like himself in his arch rival turned best friend. And to make it worse, Kuwabara had to be the sweetest punk she'd ever met.

 **#05: Caution  
** _Goddammit_! Even though he meant it when he said Keiko was plenty tough, he couldn't half ass it against the leader of the Saint Beasts the way he had with Rando. A guy could only be so lucky, and with more than his own life on the line, he needed to be more careful this time. Yusuke's hands slid into his shoes as he picked himself up.

 **#23: Hands  
** There was no way to reach them, no energy left to save them, and no more time. Botan lie motionless in Keiko's lap, the brunette bravely shielding her from danger with her body. Suzaku exhausted his spirit power, but even though the detective was spent, a different sort of energy surged, arising from somewhere near his heart and rushed into his fists...

 **#39: Smile  
** "Do you think I'm pretty?" Yusuke faltered and nearly dropped the coffee pot. He chanced a glance at his girlfriend(?), perched on the corner of his mother's couch, head curiously tilted to one side. "Everyone thinks you're pretty…" he deflected. Keiko tsk'd. "You know I don't care about _everyone_." Nervous fingers ran through slick hair, redness flooding his ears. Yusuke shoved the mug into her palms, ignoring the knowing curl of her lips. "I mean- yeah... Obviously."

 **#41: Completion  
** Yusuke took another couple centimeters off the strawberry-flavored stick and hesitantly drew his gaze up to meet hers. Behind flustered skin, the schoolgirl wore the same daring expression as when she first placed the biscuit between her lips, and Yusuke readied himself for the last bite.

 **#20: Freedom  
** When Keiko found out - _actually_ found out - it relieved him (surprisingly, since she basically threw herself into a crowd of blood-thirsty demons in her chase after him); freeing for Yusuke's longest, closest companion to discover his secret and accept it without hesitation - unnatural dangerous powers and everything. But that was Keiko. After all, she accepted him for the intimidating, angry, idiot punk he was too.

 **#40: Innocence**  
As much as Botan's suggestion of " _birds and bees_ " affronted her, time alone with Yusuke actually felt nice for a change. Even if her boyfriend was sleeping, Keiko enjoyed his closeness without having to worry about grabby hands or unsolicited comments about her underwear.

 **#50: Supernova  
** All light left Keiko's eyes, overcome with the feeling of falling. As much as she hated Yusuke's fighting - between bruised eyes and dried blood and bottles of peroxide - she'd only ever seen him win. The brilliant blue light pouring from his soul should have been powerful and reassuring, but she was only reminded of the last brilliant star before it dies, and this time, Keiko was there to witness it.

 **#43: Sky  
** It was over. He defeated Toguro. Looking out from the ferry, it was impossible to tell where the sky ended and the ocean began - everything was so blue. The Urameshi Team captain folded his arms behind his head. Instead of fighting, he'd play pachinko, Keiko would return to her constant fussing, and Kuwabara would have the biggest head after Toguro's stunt, but to Yusuke, nothing sounded better.

 **#03: Soft  
** Puu chirped happily at her from among the girl's stuffed animals. Keiko mused, _how funny_ , gently rubbing the downy blue fuzz on the creature's stomach, _that an incarnation of Yusuke's soul could blend in so well with them_.

 **#49: Hair  
** Keiko ignored Yusuke's rolling eyes and half-hearted attempt to back away as her nails grazed across his scalp, pulling the shorter pieces in the front out of his slick pompadour so they hung over his forehead. "Don't be such a baby, it looks better this way…"

 **#16: Weakness  
** She was too normal to be of any _real_ use to him. Yusuke didn't need a regular schoolgirl putting herself in harm's way just to say " _stealing bicycles is wrong"_. She'd tried very hard to fit where she really didn't belong and it only made her an extra layer of worry. Worst of all, Yusuke had been Koenma's employee for _months,_ and he got through it all without her. The thought frightened Keiko; even if he didn't need her, she still very much needed him.

 **#45: Hell  
** Puu fell limp, cradled in Keiko's arms. His long ears dangled off her elbow, and she worried at her little friend. A cold, sinking feeling of deja vu settled into her bones, remembering the first time she saw Yusuke's body in a coffin.

 **#35: Bonds  
** Given the confused expressions on the rest of his team as he walked out of Demon's Door, Yusuke hadn't expected Keiko to throw her arms around his neck in front of them like that. But then again, she'd known him longer than anyone else; it wasn't exactly shocking she could recognize him through the weird tattoos and three meters of hair.

 **#27: Blood  
** Despite assurance he was fine, Keiko knew whatever change occurred in that cave ran vein deep. In ten years, he'd never been so _distant_. Every attempt she made to bring it up resulted in detached one-word answers and refusal to meet her eyes, and eventually, Keiko stopped trying altogether - don't bring it up, don't argue back, afford Yusuke all the space he wants.

 **#46: Sun  
** It had been a very surreal sunset, when Yusuke's ghost came to her in Kuwabara's body asked her to wait. The girl back then promised " _forever",_ when she felt certain they would bicker over which brand of curry tasted better or the length of her skirt until they grew old and gray. But things change - a year later, by the same sunset, when he'd asked her again, Keiko's once resolute willingness failed.

 **#01: Comfort  
** Ms. Yukimura's arm squeezed tighter around her daughter, smoothing her hair with the other hand and _shh_ -ing her gently, as quiet sniffling and tears broke into hiccups and sobbing over the first and only love.

 **#47: Moon  
** Keiko _insisted_ she would not spend three years as a 'girl who waited around for a _boy_ ' - so she studied, played softball, helped in her parents' restaurant... during the day. Nights were different. Keiko studied the dark, empty street where he waved her goodbye, every evening, fanning tentative hopes Yusuke would come back early.

 **#19: Wind  
** The young woman braced herself against the excited flap of great blue wings, blowing her pleated skirt against her legs, and Puu nuzzled his head into his usual place at Keiko's breast. Cuddles from his favorite person were too few and far between now, especially since her parents would _definitely_ notice if he tried to hide in her room.

 **#48: Waves  
** The balmy surf lapped at her toes, vying for attention, but it was the tall, shadowy form which drew it. Keiko's first instinct was to dismiss it as a big, handsome sunspot after staring into the horizon for too long, but then, the body she collided with felt painfully, _wonderfully_ solid.

 **#14: Sex  
** The first time (and the second, and the third), Yusuke couldn't help whispering between kisses: " _are you alright?_ " " _am I doing okay?_ " " _I didn't hurt you did I?_ " He'd been a screw up most of his life, and he just had to get this right; all Yusuke ever wanted was to make Keiko feel good.

 **#10: Ears  
** Yusuke's ears blazed crimson, and he was reduced to sputtering stupidly as his _mother_ shoved a box of condoms into his chest. "You better not get my girl in trouble, understand?"

 **#24: Taste  
** Tendrils of steam ghosted above the bowl as Yusuke ladled the broth in. Knowing he wouldn't accept it on the house, the ex-detective took care to layer extra slices of pork over the top instead - he'd need all the good karma he could get.

 **#33: Fear  
** "So, about that last proposal…" he started stiffly, straightening his back a bit, "…you'd be okay with that right?" Mr. Yukimura regarded him seriously, and Yusuke tried to focus on not fidgeting under his stare. It only lasted a moment though. The older man's face broke into the widest grin, and he let out a wholehearted belly-laugh. "Of course!"

 **#15: Touch  
** The brunette traced her fingers across Yusuke's torso, exploring tanned, tawny skin and old scars, and stopped at his collarbone over what looked suspiciously like bite marks. "Geez, Keiko, handsy much?" She huffed. "As if _you're_ one to talk about being _handsy_ ," the brunette countered, slapping his wrist away as he not-so-subtly reached for her breast.

 **#11: Names  
** "Whaa-at?" Yusuke peered incredulously over the young woman's shoulder. "How come your side is so short?" Their wedding would be small, but missing from Keiko's list were her two middle school friends (Natsu-something and the other tall one), her sour uppity aunt from Nagoya - most of her extended family, actually. Keiko answered, without lifting her gaze from the sheet, "Anyone who's ever accused you of being good-for-nothing or ruining my reputation _isn't_ invited."

 **#36: Market  
** Keiko glanced up at the sound of the front door. Full paper grocery bags in tow, Yusuke shuffled into the kitchen, tugged her braid as his means of saying 'hello', and dropped them off on the counter. "Crazy hag ran into my cart at the store," he groaned, pulling the vegetables out to wash. She smiled, turning back to the exams in front of her, thinking maybe Chuu had a point about Yusuke being " _tied by the apron strings_ "...

 **#29: Melody**  
Even in the dark, his eyes glinted wild and hungry and red, framing blown pupils; hers followed the spindly demon markings, down his throat and blazoned across his chest, singing of his impossible power. A more reasonable woman would want to run, with wrists pinned down and fangs at her neck, but she couldn't imagine a more dangerous and divine surrender.

 **#31: Home  
** "Hey-! You're gonna burn it!" Keiko tsk'd and jerked the skillet. "I don't need you telling me how." Her husband smirked, reassured because day in and day out, even after so many years, some things never changed. Yusuke tapped her backside playfully, remnants of annoyance already fading from Keiko's face. "Pssh, we both know _I'm_ the better cook."

 **#26: Forever  
** Outwardly, all anyone saw was bickering, glaring, hands-on-hips and sneers and rolling eyes. But privately, Keiko nestled herself into Yusuke's chest (always _almost_ too warm, like a furnace), his steady, strong embrace wound around her. Privately, there was still bickering, but also kisses and understanding and freedom to be exactly as they were and nothing more. They were safe with each other and it had always been that way.

It would always be that way.

 **xxx**

 **Author's Note:** I don't ever get tired of this ship. Nope, not me.

FYI, very proud of myself for keeping the suggestiveness to a minimum given all the potentially steamy words. Many of the prompts anyway are tangential at best. Also, I'm guilty of substituting one, because I just didn't know how with ' _potato'_.

Reviews are very much appreciated!


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